Decocker vs. Putting hammer down w/ thumb

J

Justin

New member
Ok, at the risk of starting a flame war, I offer another thread titled 'option A vs. option B.'

When decocking a pistol, how do you do it? Do you use the integrated decocker (assuming one is there) or do you put your thumb on the hammer, pull the trigger, and gently put the hammer down on a live round?

Which is safer?
We all know that machines and mechanisms fail, but at the same time how many times has someone had a NG because they weren't paying 100% attention when putting that hammer down?

So, what are the pros, and what are the cons of using a decocker vs. putting the hammer down gently on a loaded chamber?

Thanks!
 
Most pistols with decockers...

...have some type of safety that is activated only by using the decocker. For example, a SIG, when decocked, drops its hammer into an "intercept notch" and not all the way onto the rear face of the slide. Using the decocker on Ruger, Beretta, and *&* autos pivots a piece of metal between the hammer and firing pin that isn't there when you lower the hammer with your thumb.

Though sending a hammer flying forward with the decocker made me cringe the first time I did it, I got pretty sold on them the more I studied the various mechanisms involved.
 
My best friend always swears to me that the decocker cannot be trusted on any pistol so he always lowers with his thumb...he has a nice hole in the floor of his house and some scars from where the slide bit him when his Beretta fired.

If you absolutely cannot trust the decocker, you don't need that gun. That being said, if you do have to drop the hammer manually, do it by pinchingthe hammer with your thumb and forefinger of the off hand.
 
Decockers

Decockers are designed to drop the hammer safely. Presumably, they were designed to lessen the chance of ADs from manually dropping the hammer. On all of my handguns with decockers, I use them to drop the hammer, while also using my weak hand thumb to ease the hammer down.

I honestly don't think that decockers have any cons, in theory, but I don't like certain decocker designs. I originally trained with a 1911 design, so my thumb rides the safety while firing. Some handguns that combine the thumb safety and decocking functions in one lever can allow you to accidentally decock the hammer while you're swiping the safety off or while you're firing.
 
Safety wise, I'll take a decocker any day over manually lowering the hammer. The one on my SIG 239 and *&* 4006 have never failed and I don't expect them to. Like Tamara, I was leary of doing it the first coupla times. But now I have no hesitation and do it inside the house all the time. I still point the gun at my thick wood "bullet stopper" when doing it just as I do when lowering the hammer, but it takes 1/10th the time and far fewer heartbeats. :)
 
No one can ever proove it one way or another, but I would bet that there have been a lot fewer accidental discharges using the decocker than lowering the hammer by hand. Mechanical devices may not be perfect, but they beat "hummin' beans" with oily or sweaty fingers.

Jim
 
I feel completely comfortable doing it either way. But the if your pistol has a decocker, and I know it does, I'd use it for all the reasons previously mentioned. The only way I would decock on a live round is if I had to, i.e. CZ-75B.
 
Are there any pistols which cannot be decocked, i.e., they have no decocker lever and no visible hammer? I guess the only thing you can do with those is unload and dryfire. I have an old Beretta .25 which falls into that category. If it is loaded, it is cocked (but can be locked). It cannot be carried be locked and not cocked, and cannot be decocked. Right?

Drakejake

Who is Nathaniel Branden?
 
My problem is that I am carrying a 1911-style, but cannot really use the thumb from my weak hand (a little parting gift from Uncle Sam). I cannot trust my thumb to be able to hoild the hammer when a live round is chambered. I have to place my finger in the way of the hammer, pull the trigger, then lower the hammer using my strong hand. I don't particularly like having to do it this way, but I don't know of another solution.
 
Wherein Ledbetter opines yet again.

Drizzt, for the love of humanity stop doing that and carry in either cocked and locked or without a round chambered. The gun isn't designed to be decocked or carried with the hammer down on a live round. I'd hate it if something happened to you or a loved one.

The P32 is one example of a gun that cannot be uncocked once a round is chambered. I suspect there are others, including the Colt Pony.

I always use the decockers on my CZ-75BD and my FEG SMC-380. Human error, as stated, is more common than machine error.

Regards to all.
 
The only decocker failure that I am aware of came with the original ruger p85. Once upon a time, this was the issue weapon of my dept. As I recall, this model was recalled by ruger and the slides were replaced with a p85 mkII slide. We were told that the upgrade(?) was due to decocker failure causing AD.
The rugers have for the most part faded from existence.
I am not aware of any other decocker failures from major makers.
 
Decocker

The decocker on my Firestorm is failproof. The design simply can't "not work" unless the user doesn't activate it properly. I would trust my life with it, and do. If you can't trust your gun, sell it.
 
I use a decocker if so equipped. One would have to be stupid not to use one if the pistol had one. If it does not have one and I am decocking it, I place my left hand on the top of the slide. I grasp the hammer with my thumb and index finger on the left hand. I pull the trigger with my right hand and ease the hammer down with both fingers on the left hand. I can't think of a safer way to lower the hammer on a live round without a mechanical device to assist.
 
DrakeJake...

yes, ther ARE pistolsthat can not be decocked... no exposed hammer, and no lever... they are called GLOCKS...

part of the reason I dislike them...
 
Dropping the hammer on a chambered round is never a good idea. If the pistol has a decocker then use it. Of course you could just do away with all the decocker, DA/SA nonsense and get a cocked and locked single action :D

Every time I hear the word decocker, it brings to mind images of Lorena Bobbitt :eek: , maybe that's why I prefer single action, and DAO pistols.
 
Many excellent DA/SA autoloader (H&K USPs, Sigs) employ a decocker. When available, I use them because they also provide some type of internal physical safety to preclude hammer-down strike of the primer. This said many excellent older revolvers (such as Colts and S&Ws) have neither any type of decocker -- manually lower the hammer with care -- nor any "hammer interrupt physical safety". They are long-proven to be fully safe and wonderfully effective.
 
Hemicuda:

That's possibly one of the least informed (ignorant) statements that I've ever seen on this forum.

I guess you would have a similar dislike for a DAO pistol.


Dawg23
 
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Glock decocker

Hemicuda, I hate to correct you on this, but Glocks do in fact have decockers ......... it's the lever inside that hole thingy next to the grip. The only problem is that the decocker only works when the gun is empty. One time, I tried decocking a loaded Glock and it took fifteen tries before the thing actually decocked ......

:p
 
Dawg23...

how it that uninformed... the Decocker (though TECHNICALLY present) is NOT a "usable"decocker, to carry it "uncocked" and loaded...

and I stand firm with my assretation that I dislike them... having fired them many times...

The trigger pull is ATROCIOUS, and can't be helped much... there are no exposed hammers to decock, and NO safeties of ANY sort, so it's cocked and unlocked all the way, they are UGLY... they are un-inspiring, and they're plastic...

I PERSONALLY won't own one...

As for DAO's, no, I dislike the trigger pull on those also... I can't STAND a long, stiff trigger pull... they screw up my accuracy,and are not pleasant for me to shoot.

that is why my revolvers, though double actioned, always get cocked before firing, and so do my automatics...

It's also why I have had most of my triggers smoothed out.. (or done them myself...)
 
Ummm...

...all fine; you can buy what you want.

But for the sake of technical accuracy, I feel compelled to point out that Glocks aren't cocked. When you rack the slide, the striker is only cocked about halfway. The trigger pulls it the rest of the way to the rear before releasing it forward.

You can no more have a "decocker" on a Glock than you could have one on a DAO gun.

Regarding thumb-cocking revolvers; I used to hate DA trigger pulls, too. Couldn't hit a dang thing with 'em. Wondered why old codgers went on and on about "wonderful DA triggers" on revolvers and stuff. Now that I'm older and have spent more time practicing, a good DA revolver trigger is my favorite thing to shoot at the range.

Guess it's an acquired taste.;)
 
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